A variety of different connectors is available for connecting components, in particular furniture components, together with an edge of one panel or panel-like component held fast relative to a surface or edge of another panel. Such fasteners include wood screws, self tapping screws, machine screws (usually in combination with co-operating nuts), dowels of various different configurations and the like.
There are also in use certain cam action locking devices that are typically used in relation to furniture of a “knock-down” type and that often have a headed pin anchored into one panel or other component with the pin extending operatively into a bore extending into an adjacent edge of a panel and wherein a cam or other locking device locks the head of the pin in its assembled position to connect the panel in edge-on relationship relative to the other panel or component.
These arrangements suffer from various disadvantages including the possibility of damage to the panels with consequent unsightly surface cracks and other blemishes and also the possibility of instability of the assembled components. These comments are particularly pertinent in relation to thin panels such as plywood, composition board, chipboard and other boards made of reconstituted timber. Also, the specially made components for such a connector may be relatively costly.
One proposal that has been put forward to overcome structural weaknesses is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,148 to Waibel. In this instance an anchor member is inserted through an aperture near the edge of a first panel and the anchor member and thus the edge of the first panel is drawn towards the surface of a second panel by a screw threaded fastener extending into the anchor member in the general plane of the first panel. The fastener is located in a narrowed neck portion of the aperture that has a key-hole type of configuration.
The drawback of this arrangement is that the anchor member projects significantly from both surfaces of the first panel and the balance of the aperture, including its neck portion, is exposed, thereby resulting in an unsightly appearance. Applicant accordingly regards such a connector arrangement as unsuitable for a large number of different purposes that require a neat and attractive appearance. Also, the anchor members are likely to interfere with co-operating objects, in use.